Our Secrets
by redpinkandwhite
Summary: My additions to Zutara Week. Contains romance, angst, secrets, action, and plenty of Zutara!
1. Day 1: Mask

**A/N: Welcome to my contributions to Zutara Week! I'll try and update every day, on day.**

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><p><em><strong>Mask <strong>(n.)_:_A mold of a person's face, often made after death._

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><p>Her skin, normally as caramel-colored as a candied treat, was whiter than snow. The cherry flush to her cheeks were drained and gone forever, leaving behind no trace of ever having existed. Her long and slender limbs were stiff and straight, unfamiliar to the curved and flexible movements before. Her fawn-colored hair had lost its shiny, sleek luster and was hanging limply around her face in her traditional Water-tribe style. Even her hair-loops seemed to wilt against her face.<p>

She was nestled deeply into her native water-tribe blue fabric and traditional white water lily petals surrounded her on all sides. The boat she rested in was hand crafted by her brother, which took weeks of work to make. It was made of mahogany, an exotic and rare tree pulled from the center of the Earth Kingdom, compliments of Toph Bei Fong.

Her family surrounded her on all sides, their tears falling continually from their cheeks. Gran-Gran's grey hair was chopped haggardly, and faint cuts were visible all over her legs and arms. Hakoda stood before his daughter, her limp hand gently cradled in his, the tears sliding down his cheeks and the pained look on his face were the only ways to know he was in pain. Sokka had Katara's other hand and looked down on his little sister with pity and sadness, but with a slight joy almost undetectable to the untrained eye. Suki was behind him, her hand on his shoulder. Tears slid from her eyes, falling onto Sokka below. The unbreakable Toph Bei Fong was also at the funeral, her eyes wet and full of sadness.

The sun slowly set on the group, the pink shades of the night sky slowly hardening into a dark blackness around them. Hakoda and Sokka both reluctantly let go of her hands and gently set them back into the boat. Each took a side of the canoe in gloved hands. Both looked at the other, hesitant and waiting. Finally, Hakoda nodded. Sokka and Hakoda heaved, their grunting the only sound echoing through the bleak and cold Southern Water-tribe landscape. Soon, the boat scraped off of the blue ice and found purchase in the water. It began to float away calmly, barely making a ripple across the water. The boat drifted farther and farther away and the whole group could be heard crying and moaning.

The only thing left in her tribute was a blue and white mask, in the shape of her face, painted with the moon and the stars, and her mother's necklace resting beside it on a cherry table.

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><p>His skin, a pale-white color that rivaled that of the man on the moon, was completely devoid of its color. The redness of his skin had vanished with his spirit, leaving him with a granite-white face. His limber arms were limp and flexible, so different compared to the strength and sharpness of his movements before. The midnight black hair had lost its floppiness and its color, but it was pulled up into the formal topknot of the Fire Lord.<p>

Scarlet silk blankets and buckets of orange fire-lilies surrounded his body as he lay on the funeral pyre. Uncle had hand-carved carved and gathered all of the cherry wood used to create the platform and tinder from the palace gardens.

His people surrounded him on all sides, tears streaming down their faces for their loss of a great ruler. Ursa found her way over to the pyre, her long hair pulled up into a short, tight bun. She wore nothing but white and had a white flower resting gently in her hair. Her eyes were redder than she had ever seen before. She stood on one side of her son, her bell sleeves covering up her arm while she held her son's hand in her own. Uncle stood on the other side, his hand closed around his 'son's' own. He was turned to face the crowd and made a monologue he knew the young Fire Lord would be proud of. Sokka and Suki were in the crowd in each other's arms, tears streaming down their faces. Toph Bei Fong was on the stage beside Iroh, a slight smile on her face.

The sun slowly began to rise behind the palace, the warm yellow sunlight slowly approaching the gathered crowd. Ursa and Uncle turned to one another and removed their hands from his. They gently placed them back beside him on the pyre. In unison, they stepped away to opposite sides of the stage and slowly brought their fists into a beginning firebending position. With one nod, they both punched out one fist and blew the flames into the wood. The orange flames licked the dark wood, crawling quickly up to the tower. Black smoke plumed up into the air, billowing out like a sheet in the wind. After a few moments, the only thing you could see was the orange flames engulfing everything.

The only thing left in his tribute was a full mask of his face, painted yellow and orange after the sun and the dragons of fire, and the duel broadswords on a cherry table resting next to her mask and her mother's necklace so both may be together.


	2. Day 2: History

**History** _(n.): __an established record _

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><p>"Uncle Sokka, do you really have to go to bed?" Tanzin asked from his bed. He was tucked into the blankets so nothing except his face was showing out from the sea of green blanket. Syaoran was doing the exact same thing as his brother, just a few feet away in his own bed. The crack between the beds was slightly big enough to allow the older Sokka to stand between the two boys' beds, turned to look at both of them at the same time. He used the end bedposts to help himself stay upright.<p>

"Don't be silly, boys. I'll only be down the hall." _I'll always be there to protect you, baby sister._

_ "_Please, Uncle Sokka," they chorused, both jumping out from under of their covers and tugging on his hands, trying to keep him in the room. _"Please, please, please, please!_"

Sokka heaved a deep sigh, letting his wrinkled, tanned hand connect with his forehead and slowly slide down his face. He can't believe he was about to do this. "One story," he grunted, "then it's time for bed, all right?" He had learned-ever since becoming a parent-that sometimes you had to be stern before you could give into their demands. This was one of those times that he could bend the rules because he was their uncle.

The two boys obediently jumped back under the covers, snuggling in and adjusting their green pillows before finally settling down. Sokka pulled out a chair from the corner of the room and pulled it straight in line with the foot of their beds. He sat down, but his back stood straight and tall, hand on Tanzin's bed, and he felt like his old self again. He closed his eyes and could feel his wolf-tail back on his head, the cold bite of his boomerang in his right hand, the smell of smoke and destruction as he was back in his old village. In that moment, he knew the perfect story to tell.

His blue eyes opened slowly and peered down at each of the boys. They looked so much like their grandfather, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference: Jet-black hair; chalky skin; long, gangly limbs; their grandfather's firebending ability. Only their soft blue eyes told of Katara's genes.

"It all started off with a panda-moose-lion," Sokka started, deciding to tease the boys a little to get the serious looks off of their faces, "and a boy that craved meat." The feeling of Suki's fan hitting the back of his head made him flinch before he even realized it. As expected, the boys before him started to giggle and grins spread over their faces.

"Many decades ago, a great war had spread over the land," he started, trying to tell the story in a deep, story-telling voice. He failed, and only made himself look like an idiot trying to contort his face to get his voice right. The two boys giggled behind their blankets, but Sokka blundered on. "The powerful Fire Nation was planning to attack the other three nations, for they believed they were the better race. With the help of the comet we know as Sozun's comet, they destroyed the Airbending Nomads with the help of the comet." This sentence was punctuated with Sokka imitating a comet coming to land on the Airbending Nomads. Sound effects were added for a dramatic flair. The two boys looked at their great-uncle like he was a little crazy. They shared a few glances before Sokka halted his demonstration mid-screech. He had noticed the look the two boys were sharing. He winced once more and even reached up to gently rub the spot on the back of the head where he had been 'hit'. Gods, he missed Suki.

He cleared his throat and continued on. The boys seemed to understand and settled back down into their beds. He explained their whole trip through the Water Tribes and teaching Aang how to waterbend, their travels through the Earth Kingdom and picking up Toph Bei Fong along the way, and finally reached to the end of the war. Along the way (usually on distinct parts of battle) he added in great sound effects, like the sound of a boomerang passing by, or the sound of a sword slicing through the air. Each time he received weird looks from his grand-nephews, or maybe even eyerolls (they reminded him of his baby sister), who didn't understand why he was making those sound effects. However, Sokka enjoyed making the effects thoroughly and wouldn't stop.

Throughout the tale, he stressed the relationship between his sister and the Fire Nation Prince, walking them through almost every moment they had spent together. From the beginning, when he tied her to the tree and tried to tempt her with her mother's necklace ("_You touched my baby sister?"_), until the end of the war when they both went up to face Azula. He described every moment in detail, thanks to his baby sister's tales he had heard.

"Now, at the end of the war, we tried to achieve peace. Leaving the Fire Lord powerless was only part of the defeat. Now that the bad guy was gone from the story, we had to clean up afterward. Fights still broke out through the nations. Some didn't even know that the war had ended! Only through the help of the new Fire Lord Zuko did we ever strive to receive peace. It took years of rebuilding and rearranging to get everyone happy and back into peace again. And, even then, with everyone settled, some people still weren't happy enough. They would attack the Fire Nation and retaliate in what they believed was right. Many times the Fire Lord was threatened with assassination letters, saying they would kill him if he didn't give up Fire Nation soil to their family. He ignored most, but one was deathly serious. He kept receiving letters, and they wouldn't stop. Luckily Katara was there, or he might not have made it out.

"An Earth Nation civilian entered into the Fire Nation one night, slipping in through a back way unnoticed by the guards." Sokka's voice turned deathly serious and the boys stared, wide-eyed, at their uncle, the blankets pulled up closer to their faces so only eyes were visible. "He climbed his way up to the tower, set on the Fire Lord's room. He scaled up the wall in little time and pulled out a dagger. He swung himself onto the balcony, the wind whipping his hair out of his face. Through the window, into the room, and on the side of the bed. The Fire Lord slept peacefully on the bed, unaware of what was happening. The Earth peasant raised his dagger and aimed for his heart. He got ready to pull down the knife and it fell into his leg. The Fire Lord woke up instantly and burned him to death. Katara, just a floor down from the Fire Lord, was summoned to help heal his injured leg. "From that day on, they found a small comfort and solace in one another. They had to stay together to make sure that his leg would heal, and they just enjoyed each others company. They would talk mainly about politics, for Katara had a good eye for the projects that would lead to the most beneficial or best end for the Fire Nation. Even after his leg had healed, they spent hours together after meetings in his library, discussing plans for the future of the Fire Nation and how things would turn out. Katara was invited to the meetings soon after, and wanted to do nothing more.

"Years later, after many meetings and plenty of projects overseen by the two of them, they finally decided that they loved each other. They couldn't ever imagine being with anyone else but the one who had helped them through so much.

"Finally," Sokka overstressed this part here. Though he had been against Zuko at the beginning, over time he saw his sister's attraction to the man. He approved of their love, for he had seen the love in Zuko's eyes as well. "after all of that time, they got married. They lived happily ever after." He grumbled slightly, having used the cliché ending he never had liked. Life never just ended like that! There was always more to it. So, why did they tell their children there wasn't? "The end! Now, it's time for you to go to bed."

"Aww!" the two cried, jumping up from out of their covers. "One more story, Uncle Sokka, one more story!"

"I believe that history lesson was one enough for both of you. It's time for bed." He pulled himself up out of the chair and moved over to the boys. He tucked the blankets in underneath them, just like he had done so many times for Katara and Zuko's own kids, and put the chair back into its place.

"Goodnight!" the two boys chorused, smiling happily up at their great-uncle.

"Good night," Sokka whispered, closing the wooden door behind him. He'd never known the story of the two boys' own history would be so fascinating to them."


	3. Day 3: Social Networking

_**Social Networking **__(n.): __a __person's __family,__ neighbors, __and__ friends__ with __whom __they __are__ socially __involved_

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><p>Katara was on speaking terms with almost everyone in the Western Air Temple.<p>

Katara's social-web connection with the boys was very thin and weak, like the hair of the elderly, but the silver strands were still barely visible. Teo and the Duke would sometimes listen to her commands to clean up after themselves, and always answered her calls for food. Sometimes listening to them talk about their latest inventions grated deeply on her nerves; on other days, however, she was interested to know what they were doing. But, her network was small and refined when talking to the boys. They didn't have all that much in common, so she found it hard to talk to them. The web between them was as short and thin as it was small.

Her connection to Suki and Toph were one of the strongest and toughest of all of her connections. She could imagine a thick, hard white strings connecting between their webs. They were the only other girls in the group, so they were the only ones that Katara could ever really talk to. They tell each other their secrets, complain about certain feminine cycles, and sometimes gossip about other attractive members in the gAang. Okay, maybe only she and Suki did this, but she could still talk to Toph about girly things. Toph and Suki were the closest girl friends that Katara has ever had, so her social web was the closest, biggest, and tightest-knit here with them.

Sokka's web, on the other hand, was like an old blanket. It was riddled with holes, weak in some places, but stronger in many. He only talked about meat, hunting, and his boomerang, like there was nothing else was on his mind. Of course, Katara had more than enough to say to Sokka. She had to get nit-picky with her brother (and his sexist problems) or else he would never be able to live on his own. On the good days, though, having an older brother to lean on with all of your problems (except boy problems) was nice to have around as well. At those times, the web seemed to mend itself in different places, tightening the silver strands until it was firm and would never break. Then, Sokka would make a sexist comment, and it would all fall apart again. Her connection to her brother was one of the most lucrative and complicated, but could be one of the strongest of them all.

And Aang... well, it was complicated. Aang was her best friend. She would talk to him about almost everything, depending on her mood. Boys were out of the question, but they would discuss almost everything else together. Since they had been together for so long, they knew almost everything about the other person. Of course, Katara kept a few secrets that she would carry with her to the grave, but Aang knew about everything else. Her bond with Aang was one of the tightest, strung with a thick white chord that was almost unbreakable. There was no fluctuation between topics; she could talk to him about almost everything, if he was willing to listen. Their webs were very close together. He was giving Suki and Toph a run for their money on the closeness of their relationship.

Katara stopped her thoughts for just a moment, setting down the plate in her hands to wipe off the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She wanted to save her energy for the Comet. It was only a few days away, and she knew she needed to rest up, so she refrained from waterbending as much as possible. It was one of the hardest things she had to do; she felt like she was slowly dying on the inside without feeling the push and pull of the river water beneath her, but she was a strong creature. She was going to make it till the Comet.

She sat back onto her haunches, taking in the cool night breeze sweeping over her face. Her head tipped up, her blue eyes gazing wondrously at the stars above her. During the summer, she and Sokka didn't get to see the stars. The sun was in the sky for 20 hours at a time, so the stars were up for only a few hours before they were shaded once more. It was a nice break to finally get to see the stars, rather than the sun all day.

With a deep, regretful sigh, she tore her eyes away from the stars, reminding herself that the dishes weren't done yet. _I'll take a break once I've got the dishes done and the laundry has been mended._ She picked up the plate and resumed her work, scrubbing the metal dish with a make-shift leaf scrubber.

Her thoughts quickly resumed to her last spot, bringing her to the final person in the group.

_Zuko._

Katara was on horrible terms with the Fire Nation Prince, and she wanted it to stay that way. Her social web connecting her to Zuko was so thin, it was transparent. Only one or two very *horribly* thin strands connected between them. Only few words were muttered between the two, and they were only dictated by necessity. Were it not for the pushings and proddings from the rest of the gAang, she wouldn't talk to him at all. He had betrayed her trust, and didn't deserve to be respected by the rest of her friends. Why, if she had it her way, he would be sitting in his own little corner of the room, only trusted to teach Aang firebending under her constant watch. He would never come out of his room. He would be locked up forever, away from the rest of her friends, and told never to bother coming out. She would-

A '_Snap' _quickly brought her back to reality. The brush in her hand had snapped under her hand, having been pressed quickly and very firmly against the surface of the dish. She had been taking out her anger at Zuko onto the brush.

With an irritated growl, she threw the useless bundle of sticks into the river, watching it float down the fast currents, down a few rapids, until it was completely out of sight. A happy, arrogant snort came out her mouth and she crossed her arms over her chest. Serves it right for breaking under her hand.

She stomped into the forest of trees behind her, still a little irked from her anger at Zuko. She quickly found the tree that she needed, roughly pulled off a few leaves, and took off some bark to tie them together. She stomped back over to the river and resumed washing the dish, who's stains was giving her such a hard time. _Sokka's plate..._

As much as she wished it was true, her anger she felt was not towards Zuko. No, however much she wished she was angry at Zuko, this was not the case. She was infuriated with herself. There was one secret that the other webs would never be able to touch; one large hole in her densely knotted weave that no one in the gAang could ever reach. She kept the thought as close and personal as her own heart, and would never let go. She sighed deeply. She had a crush on Fire Prince Zuko.

The thought of face-palming herself right now was sorely tempting, but she had already come to grips with her secret. As much as she tried to create the thought of her social weave not reaching Zuko's own, it was one of the thickest and tightest on her side. Her 'crush' (she refused to call it love) on Zuko had revealed to her some of the closest and most interesting points of Zuko's personality. She had begun to notice they way that he ate: he was as refined and as polite as his station would dictate; the way he walked: back straight, head slightly erect, shoulders parallel to the ground; even the way that he talked: his lips hardly ever move when he speaks, and his eyes always express the emotions that his face does not. All in all, she felt like she was acting as a love-struck teenager would act. And it made her sick of herself. She couldn't actually believe that-

She was once again torn from her thoughts as a rustle of leaves quietly whispered from the forest to her right. Katara froze in place, one hand on the plate, the other dropped the leaf scrubber onto the hard ground below and quickly pulled a stream of water from the river. She turned to look at the assailants seeming for the worst, when... Zuko appeared right next to her. Slowly, he knelt down on the ground, awaiting Katara's refusal, but, when none came, he picked up a plate from the ground and started to clean.

Katara stared lamely at Zuko, wondering why he had the right to waltz in like the Emperor of the Earth Kingdom and do her job for her. But, the other half of her brain told her to accept his chivalrous offer, and maybe even make a little small talk with him. She might learn more about him then she would just observing him. Before she could even finish the thought, she smacked herself. There was no way she was going to start talking to him! She hated him! He betrayed her trust and didn't deserve to be in her presence.

Her internal debate was quickly shushed, however, when Zuko peered over at her with his knowing eyes. With a small, muttered curse aimed at Zuko, she dunked her plate in the water once more, picking up her leaves, and tried to scrub off the pesky stains that wouldn't come. The only thing that betrayed her thoughts was the small turn of a smile that came from her lips.

Only when she was in bed, after Zuko had helped her clean off all of the dishes with not a word spoken between the two did she realize that her social web was much bigger and much thicker than she had thought it was before; that maybe, just maybe, someone might have found his way into the small, secret spot in her web. And that she really didn't mind him getting in there.


	4. Day 4: Secret

_**Secret**__ (adj.): __remote from human frequentation or notice _

The black backdrop of the sky against the square windowpanes created a black checkerboard between the white wooden panels of the french doors. Sparkles of stars glimmered happily in the darkness, breaking the bleary black sky that seemed soulless. A small breeze tickled the translucent white fabric off of the dark wooden floors. The moon outside of the window, far beyond the reach of her blue eyes, shone bright and great across the courtyard, dimming the view of the stars and the consuming black sky.

The only sounds in the bedroom were the sounds of the draft slowly wafting into the room and of Katara's heartbeat pulsing in her ears. The white noise of Aang's almost undetectable breathing was right beside her ear, making goose-bumps rise up along her neck. She became hyper-aware of their positions on the bed: Aang had his chest pressed up against her back, his left arm slung carelessly around her waist, and he was snoozing like Toph. Katara was leaning very precariously on the edge of the bed, laying on her right side. One little nudge would make her fall down to the floor. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't seem to go to sleep; she blamed it on the full moon above her.

Silently, she mentally measured his breaths compared to her racing heart. _Beat beat beat beat... one... beat beat beat beat... two._ She took in a slow, relieved breath when she realized he was asleep. Aang had worked all day long debating endlessly with Fire Nation officials on strategies for peace throughout their world. The old men wouldn't give up on anything, though, and refused to negotiate, claiming the Fire Nation had taken all of the land that was rightfully theirs. That only made Aang's job harder than it had to be. At the end of the meeting no one but the Fire Nation officials had gotten what they wanted, and the group had to schedule a follow-up counsel for another time. Everyone was steamed. Thankfully, though, it was the end of the day. Aang pulled Katara into their bedroom right after the meeting, threw them both onto the bed, cuddled up next to her, and was out before Katara could even process what was going on.

Thus, she found herself in this situation, her heart pounding and her blood running hotly through her veins. Energy spiked throughout her system and she quickly got restless. She wanted to move, but couldn't in fear she would wake up Aang and he would lose out on sleep because of her. However, there was a solution.

Katara slowly and gradually pulled herself out from underneath Aang's arm. Aang had always been a light sleeper, so she had the hardest times getting up in the night and trying to go off alone without Aang waking up with her. Eventually, though, she tested and found a system so she would be able to leave the bed undetected.

After thousands of heart-beats and hundreds of breaths, Katara was finally able to slowly ease herself from the bed and onto the ground. Aang's hand slowly fell down to the bed, his fingers dangling over the edge of the mattress. His deep breaths continued on, reassuring Katara that he was still out.

Her feet padded along silently as she moved across the room, heading for the bedroom door. Hopefully some fresh air would pull her mind off of the full moon.

Katara grabbed a spare jacket off of an empty chair right beside the door just in case, and slipped through the doorway. She crept down the halls swiftly, like a ghost haunting the corridor. She had come to memorize the rooms and hallways next to their bedroom in the Fire Nation palace so she would know where to turn to reach the gardens even if she was blindfolded. She didn't need that skill tonight, however, for the pull of the ponds was enough to lead her without her body having to tell her to.

Before she even realized it, she was deep into the gardens, facilely taking in all of the languid, tranquil things around her: The soft feel of the grass under her feet, the calming bubble of fountains and ponds dotted through the gardens, the small, warm breeze that lazily danced over her skin, the stretch of the angelic stars over her head, the smell of fresh, sweet flowers. Just being around such sweet, innocent, but unique things helped to calm her anxious state.

She wrapped herself into the garden, unwilling to let go. She had been so long without relaxing when fighting the war, it felt nice to sit under the stars and gaze up at the night-time sky without fear of someone trying to hunt you down. She laid herself down onto the grass, forgetting her pull to the water for just one moment and allowed herself to stare up at the heavens and immerse herself in her thoughts. It had been so long since she had just thought about herself without any other baggage added on. With everyone talking to her about her recent relationship with the Avatar, it had suddenly become "Aang and I" or "we" or "We both". Never was it: "Katara" or "Just me" anymore.

The thoughts of reality snapped her illusion. She couldn't hold herself above everyone else. What was she thinking? She was dating Aang, and she could only think about herself!

A black gloved hand tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her reverie. She yelped quietly, unwilling to break the tranquility, and jumped up to her feet. Before her the Blue Spirit stood, the spirit mask tight on his face and black suit worn, his shoulders shaking with unheard laughter at her scare.

"That is not funny!" her voice was serious and strict. She wouldn't let him get away with it. Her arms crossed over her chest and she called a small stream of cold water to her hand from a nearby pond. "I'll get you for that!" She quickly pulled out her whip before the Spirit could pull out his Dao swords and looped the water around his ankle. She tugged, hard, and pulled him off of his feet. He managed to pull into a back-flip and drop down onto his knees, pulling out his swords, while Katara pulled back her water. Before it reached her hand, the Spirit came after her, Dao swords swinging in a graceful arc to Katara. She froze the water, hardening it into a shield and protected herself while calling just a little more water from the pond. Swords scratched against the ice in a shatter of glass, effectively breaking the ice. Katara brought around her new water, creating many little ice daggers, which she quickly shot at the Spirit. He blocked the attacks by ducking underneath them. The tree behind him made a _thunk _as the daggers hit home. A black leg came out to sweep out Katara's feet from under her while she melted her ice shield and pulled more water from the air.

They continued sparring like this for minutes together, the two only focused on attacking the other. Finally, the Spirit found his win when he dodged an octopus tentacle, slid beneath another attack, and swept her feet out from underneath her. Before she could reach the ground, however, he grabbed her around her waist, set out his legs for extra cushioning, and pulled her close.

Katara felt the Spirit's legs beneath her and his arms holding her waist close, catching her fall before she could land on the ground. A clear, metallic blade was pressed to her throat, showing he had clearly won the match. However, Katara wasn't going to give up so easily.

With a graceful swoop, she hit her hand against the hand holding his blade, knocking out the sword. She flipped herself so legs straddled the Spirit, who was laying down beneath her, face-up. She peeled off the mask from his face without a second thought and looked down upon his face. "You know, Zuko, you should really try harder next time. I thought you would try and give a fight."

He snorted, then rolled the two of them over so he was the one on top. He always dominated, especially in their little spars they had each night. "Maybe you should actually try and fight next time."

Katara, normally the quickest one to retort, found she didn't want to. The serene nature of the garden seemed to have crept up on her again. She looked up at Zuko's face, coming to a realization. Being around Zuko, no matter what they were doing, gave her an inner peace which only waterbending and the moon could ever give her. No matter how much she told herself she was in love with Aang, Zuko would be the one to always comfort her, and protect her in her times of need, while still being her sparring partner and total opposite in fights.

With a happy sigh, she brought herself up so she sat up straight, and pulled herself into Zuko's lap, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling her head to his chest. The prince said nothing, just wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tight. There was nothing to be said.

It was her greatest secret: meeting every night she could to spar with the Prince that she had fallen in love with.


	5. Day 5: Awkward

_**Awkward**__ (adj.): Clumsily or unskillfully performed _

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><p>With dinner finished and some daylight still to burn, the group of teenagers gathered around the fire, pulling out some logs to sit around the fire with. Katara, Aang, and Suki immediately clustered together near the fire, sitting on their own log. Sokka quickly pulled up next to Suki, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smiling down at her. Toph looked out upon the group and, with one swiftly placed foot, pushed Sokka off of the log and into the sand. Zuko, unwilling to socialize today, sat down on the other side of the group, turning to the fire and staring into it, ignoring the comments the other teens were sending at him.<p>

The bright orange flames leaped out to engulf the wood, greedy and hungry in its path, leaving behind nothing but charred ashes of the wood to show what it had done. Zuko stared into the flames, letting the warmth of the fire stroke his face and comfort him for just a few precious moments. This was his element. His living being. His nation.

He scoffed. The Fire Nation would always be his home, but it would never be his nation. Not if his father was still on the throne. He dismissed the thoughts from his mind; he wanted to try and sleep tonight. Thoughts of revenge and hate so late in the night weren't good for his sleep.

Lacking in any other entertaining thing to do, Zuko glanced over at Katara and her friends, chattering like teenagers and horsing around like they were children. Toph was taking joy in beating up Sokka with her Earthbending and dangling his beef jerky just a few inches away from his reach. Aang and Katara were talking to one another and watching the spectacle, giggling when Sokka tried to reach the jerky but couldn't make it and whined to Toph to bring it back down. Suki sat on the other side of Katara, laughing at her boyfriend with her friends.

They were all so young. Though they never seemed to be so young, they were still children on the inside. They all had been awkwardly forced to grow up far beyond their years because of all that they have been through. They had quickly aged mentally, but not physically. Katara especially had matured far faster than she ever should have had to. She's had to (or forced herself to) take care of Sokka and keep him in line while being the group's mother. She kissed all bruises better, cooked all of the meals, washed and sewed all of the clothes, comforted in times of hurt, and shielded them from other kinds of pain. She'd been the one to step up and take responsibility across her shoulders and carry the weight. She was forced to grow up faster than she meant to, then she _wanted_ to. She was the rock that everyone leaned on. She was the one who was the strongest; everyone could depend on her and her skills, no matter what the situation. She was the one forced to grow up faster than everyone else to become the guardian, the parent, to watch over all of the children and make sure they were protected and safe. She was forced into the awkward situation of trapping a wizened, experienced adult in a teenager's body.

"Zuko, what are you staring at?" Katara snapped, arms folded threateningly across her chest. Her blue eyes blazed with a look hotter than the fire next to him. He could feel his own face burning with her intense stare. Then, he realized, through his whole thought process, he had been staring at Katara.

"None of your business!" he retorted without thinking. He quickly turned his head away, deciding to look into the fire instead of feeling the wrath of the waterbender's stare. His cheeks heated up to a dark red and he hoped the light of the fire didn't give it away. Toph burst out in a very loud, very annoying cackle which made Zuko's blush deepen even more than before.

Maybe they did have their immature moments when they felt most vulnerable, but they were still awkwardly forced to being grown up. Golden eyes darted back over to Katara once more, allowing himself a few moments of sincere deliberation, before turning back to the fire and losing himself in his thoughts.


	6. Day 6: Legendary

_**Legendary** (adj.): of or relating to legend_

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><p><em>The Legend of the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady<em>

_The Blue Spirit, the god of thievery, was the hand of justice for the peasants of the Fire Nation. He walked through the night-time streets, looking for crime in the dark corners of houses and in the alleys between them. He brought harmony and order to the people at night to know they were safe and protected from almost anything. He was the bright light of hope for those who were oppressed._

_ The Painted Lady, goddess of the river, was the healer for the peasants of the Fire Nation. She crawled the streets after nightfall, looking for the sick and wounded in their houses. She brought peace and quiet to the sick and morbid people all across the turbulent nation. She was the bright light of hope for those who were weak and sick._

_ The two spirits hardly ever contacted one another in the Fire Nation. Though they were often centrally located together, they worked in harmony without one another. They each unconsciously took opposite sides of the town and slowly worked their way over to the other. They seemed worked harmoniously without ever communicating between themselves. Almost overnight, the crime and death rate had dropped dramatically since they had arrived. _

_ However, the peace between the two Spirits couldn't survive forever. Soon, the two began to run into one another in the middle of the town. The Painted Lady would accidentally barge in on the Blue Spirit when he was trying to liberate a peasant. She would try to attack the men. Very often she would try and help the Blue Spirit, but would miss and the attackers would be off before the Blue Spirit could run them down. She soon became more of a liability than an asset to the Blue Spirit._

_ Whenever the Painted Lady tried to jump in and help the Blue Spirit with his fighting, he would block her off with his body or stuck a knife into her gauzy fabric to pin her against a wall and quickly finished his job. Before he could blink, though, she had pulled herself from the wall or sidestepped the Spirit and attacked the men. Soon, he had to resort to pushing her into the streets or out of the house to keep her away._

_ Thankfully, she found another way to help him out by hauling back the men to the jail and healing the prey as well as she could. She stopped trying to attack when he was, finally learning that he didn't want her around. After that, she started to follow him around and help him out on his duties, severely cutting down the time it took him to patrol the streets, a god-send for him. Once they were done, she disappeared immediately and he never saw her for the rest of the night. He didn't follow after her; he allowed she was doing what she needed to and he wouldn't intervene._

_ A few nights later, however, The Blue Spirit got a little curious. He secretly followed her after she had finished helping him with his rounds. He soon found himself following her while she healed the people of the city. Watching her magically heal the people he had saved brought on feelings of a bond between himself and the spirit that helped him every night. He couldn't explain what it was, but it was stronger than anything he had ever felt before._

_ Months pass and routine falls in place once more. The Painted Lady follows the Blue Spirit around and helps him when he needs it. Once they are finished, she goes out and heals the people of the city while he watches. As each day passes, his feelings for the spirit grows stronger and stronger. Soon, he could no longer deny it. He found he was falling deeper and deeper in love as he watched her work with such tenderness and care for each of her patients. He couldn't imagine being with any other spirit._

_ Weeks later, they finally expressed their love for each other. They had found their other half; the person that complimented them perfectly. It wasn't long before they finally joined together to make their love known to the whole world._

_ Afterward, the cities of the Fire Nation were almost crime-free. The two spirits worked together to rid the crime from the streets and heal all those who were sick. They were an unstoppable team that would always stand together to fight for the peace and safety of their people, no matter the cost._

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><p>Zuko closed the cover of the storybook. He turned his head over his left shoulder to look over at his wife. "Is the story legendary enough for you?" His blue mask slipped off of the back of his head and landed on his lap, face-up on the leather book.<p>

Katara, who was leaning over the back of the throne Zuko sat in, studied the book for a moment, smoothly turned to her husband and shot him a peaceful smile. Tanned arms slipped around his chest, and she buried her face into his neck. The hat on her own head fell down on top of the mask, the gauze slightly masking the blue demon's face. "Yes; our story is completely perfect."


	7. Day 7: Caught

**A/N: All of the paragraphs completely in italics is a _flashback_. In the normal paragraphs, all of their thoughts will be put into 'single quotation marks' and italicized to avoid confusion.**__

**As a shoutout, I would just like to say, I would not have come up with this one-shot were it not for the song "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin. It's an amazing song and helped me push through. **

**I hope you all enjoy this story! :)**__

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><p><em><strong>Caught<strong>__ (v.): To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally _

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><p><em> She stood up from her crouch on the balcony and stared into the dark room before her, trying to figure out where he was. She knew the room before her was completely empty save for two worn, old chairs and a creaky table he had managed to rustle up. They were supposed to be against the right wall, but it was so dark she couldn't see any of it. There was a small closet on the far side of the wall, a perfect niche for anyone to hide and scare her. However, he didn't seem like the person to play pranks on other people. <em>

_ She should be meeting up with him here; this was the spot that they met at every night. But, it didn't seem that he was here tonight. There wasn't a light in the room to signal he was there. She edged forward into the balcony, unused to being the first one there. _

_ Without warning, her feet caught onto something and she stumbled into the room, arms out wide, unable to see where she was going. Even the light of the moon provided little for her to see. She took her time regaining her balance before she finally tipped her head up to look at the room. Then, she gasped._

She took a deep breath and reminded herself where she was and where she was going to be. '_This is a social party for all of the people planning the new treaty with the Fire Nation. I am going to see him in that room, his golden eyes focused on other people... but I can't let that affect me. It's the first social gathering where I can finally lift the weight off of my shoulders; I can be with Aang, my boyfriend, without fear. I need to think about him before myself and my problems. I have to be the perfect girlfriend_.' She heaved in a big breath and shot Aang the biggest smile that she could muster. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

He beamed up at Katara and brought his hand into hers. He laced their fingers together, and gently tugged on her hand, bringing her into the room. _'I have to be the perfect girlfriend. I have to be the perfect girlfriend.' _

They weaved through the crowd, greeting all of the dignitaries they had become familiar with over the past few weeks of debate and negotiation. Katara talked with every person that Aang pushed at her. She made sure she always the first one to smile at him and the first to laugh at Aang's jokes. She talked as little as she could manage, because she wanted Aang to be the star of the show, as she knew he wanted to be. She was going to be happy with Aang, she reassured herself. She was going to be the perfect woman for him. She would support him in almost everything that he does and be the greatest she could be. She would never let onto her secret and he would never know. She would make sure of it.

_ Soft candlight played off of the walls, creating long shadows and soft lighting on every object in the room. He stood in the center of the room in his black suit like he had been waiting a while for her to show up, blue mask discarded cleanly onto the table by the candles. Without hesitation, he dipped down low into a bow before her before standing back up and stretching out his hand toward her._

_ She curtseyed, slightly pulling up her Painted Lady dress with her hands, and placed her hand in his. She didn't need to ask what they were doing; she just seemed to know. She knew that he wanted to show off his talent he had learned as a kid, and it was something she was willing to do with him. He pulled her body against his, placing his hands on her waist and in one of her hands. He guided her hands into his and onto his arm, putting them into a dancing position. He knocked the hat off of her head, letting the wide-brimmed hat fall to the floor in a cascade of gauzy white material. The music in his head seemed to play, and, soon, they were both off, gliding across the room in harmony._

_ He had swept all of the dust off of the brilliant cherry floors, and they seemed to glow with the dim candlelight gleaming across it. She smiled happily up at him, reveling in the moment. His hands, firm and rough in her own palms, seemed to fit hers so well. Her hands, small and petite, seemed engulfed in his, but she didn't mind. The contrast of their hands seemed so perfect, like chocolate and milk in a mug. They seemed to fit so well. She couldn't imagine ever leaving his side. They just seemed so perfect together._

_ Her heart, heavy in her chest, screamed at her not to do it. They worked so well together; they were opposites that fit together like Yin and Yang. They were destined to be together. But her mind would not follow. She had to do it. They couldn't be caught together; it would ruin everything she had worked so hard to build. There was no way that they could ever stay together._

He gently squeezed the pale hand slipped into his. Zuko had never been good with small talk, so he allowed Mai to do most of that for him. He just nodded his head at the right times and smiled down at the woman who had his hand, trying to seem like he was in love. He wouldn't allow himself to think of her oceanic blue eyes, of her chocolate skin, and the feel of her cold hands wrapped in his. He wouldn't think about her and the dance that they had shared last night; nor could he remind himself of the words she had said after, which had pierced his heart like the sharp icicles that she makes. No, he had to think of Mai.

Though his heart felt like it was shattered into small fragments, he knew that his relationship with Mai was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He would be the best supporter to Mai he could ever be. He tried to be the man that Mai would always want and love. He told himself he was going to be happy with Mai, even if he had to miss out on sleep so he didn't dream of her. He would be the perfect boyfriend. She would never know of his secret and make sure she never found out. He was going to make sure of it.

_She wanted to stay with him and dance forever. She didn't want this moment to end. But, she knew, soon enough, she was going to have to say the words. She would just have to come to grips with reality sooner than later. However, right now, she could revel in the feel of his touch sending sparks up her spine, making her shiver with desire. She would memorize how his hand held hers, how his black hair flopped over his eyes whenever he tried to spin her out from his grasp. She would remember how his hand tightened on hers when he pulled her back in, and how a small sigh would escape his lips whenever she came back into his grasp. And she would never forget the depths of the silky golden eyes that always seemed magnetically charged to her eyes whenever she was around him._

_ She found they were slowly moving closer and closer. Zuko stopped spinning her out and opted to keep her in his arms. They moved closer and closer, swaying to the beat of the music in their heads, till they were simply hugging one another. She buried her face into his black suit, feeling the smoothness of the material, the taut, hard muscles beneath the suit, and the scent of spice and cinnamon drift through her senses. She tried to ingrain as much of it as she could into her mind to remember. He leaned his head down and rested his cheek against the top of her head, his hand gently teasing her hair. She took a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and enjoyed her last moment. _

_ "Zuko?" she whispered, breaking the peace surrounding the two of them. She pulled her head from his chest and he retracted his head. She brought her blue eyes to look up into his. They were so full of trust and care, she thought she was going to burst into tears. However, she barely restrained her eyes from tearing up. She took another shuddering breath before continuing on. "We... we can't be together anymore."_

Before she could realize what was happening, Aang was dragging her to their friends. An invisible, undetectable shudder ran down her back as she caught sight of _him_.

Her mind recounted last night before she could react. She could feel his hands gently resting on her back, the warmth of his hands on hers, and the smell of cinnamon on her nose. She could see the black of his suit highlighted by the candles, each muscle tight beneath the suit. Her eyes closed instinctively and she allowed Aang to lead her forward. How could she try and face him after last night? She had broken both of their hearts for the greater good of the world. She couldn't imagine trying to talk to him after what had happened; it was too soon. Both of their wounds haven't healed yet.

Quickly, she reminded herself of the situation. She and Zuko were not in love; they never have been. That was a part of the past now. She was Aang's girlfriend first and foremost. She would try and make light conversation with Zuko and Mai and not think of last night. She would be strong for Aang. She had to be.

Her eyes slowly opened and she faced him, ready to do what she needed to for the world.

_Katara sat alone upon the balcony, her blue eyes fixed up into the sky. Her hat was back onto her head, pushed down into place, creating a curtain of fabric between her and the rest of the world, allowing herself these few moments to regret her decisions and grieve with her heart. The moon hung heavy and bright in the sky, mocking Katara. No matter how it seemed that her world turned upside down, the moon would always stay the same. It would always continue to circle in its orb and never stop. Never, it seemed, would she be able to have the things she wanted, for the world always had something different planned for her. She wiped away a silver tear from her cheek._

_ At first, when he had heard her say the words, he thought he had heard wrong. But, after she assured him he had heard right, fury came next. He had picked up everything in the room and thrown it across the room to the other wall. He tried to destroy everything in the room. Though, his mask seemed to be his favorite target. It was flung around the room the most, collecting many scratches and dents from hitting the walls. Burn marks covered the surface, which had come after he had thrown everything at the wall. _

_ As much as she cared for him and wanted to be with him, she watched with a heavy heart. She knew she couldn't support him. No, she couldn't support him this time. She had to let someone else be the one to heal his wounds; she knew he would have to go back to the palace and allow Mai to heal him. He couldn't love her anymore. She had to keep herself from getting caught with Zuko to try and preserve her relationship with Aang, so she did the only thing that she could think of to keep them apart permanently. _

_ The thought had brought tears to her eyes. She had turned her back to the wreckage, trying to ignore it to the best of her abilities, while allowing the hot tears to slip from her eyes. She ran to the balcony and had to grab the edges of the railing to keep herself from running into the room and comforting him. She had to take long, deep breaths, to try and control her tears, though they fell freely from her cheeks. She stared up at the full moon, drawing on its power to keep herself away from him._

_ Soon enough, the sounds of destruction in the room behind her had stopped, and she heard him drop to his knees. The sounds of sobbing had echoed through the room, wrenching her heart in pain. It only made her cry harder. She was breaking his heart, just as she had broken her own. But it was for the good of the both of them. She had to do it. The world wanted she and Aang together, and she knew it was going to happen that way. No matter how her heart felt. Her hand had come up to reach for the necklace at the base of her throat. It was her only source of comfort that she could be with. She wrapped the pendant into her palm and held on for dear life._

His golden eyes, ripe with light and love, turned dark and hateful once he caught sight of her. He walked stiffly and awkwardly, unable to walk up to _her_ and try and make small talk. The wound in his heart was still tender from that night. There was nothing on this Earth that would force him to talk to the girl that had broken his heart beyond all recognition just a day ago. He would rather fight against Azula a hundred more times than have to face her! He silently cursed her.

Yet, without his consent, his mind dragged him back to the night before. He could feel her chestnut hair tickle his hand on her waist, feel her hand gently resting on the front of his forearm and the other small but firm in his own hand. He could smell the scent of jasmine and the sea from her hair, and see the gentle, kind blue of her eyes looking up into his own. Gods, that night was heaven. He would never forget it, no matter how much the aftermath had hurt.

Another hand, _not her hand_, was in his own, reminding him of where he was. He pulled himself from his fantasies and focused on the couple approaching them. He would have to talk to her. And he would. He would keep a polite, friendly conversation between them until they were ready to leave. He would be sincere and honest, trying to be Mai's boyfriend (he owed her that much since last night). He would not think about what had happened between himself and Katara, and he wouldn't be weak. He would be honorable to his guests.

He faced the couple, squeezing Mai's hand one more time to reassure himself he was really here. He would do what he needed to to keep Mai happy.

_ Finally, finally, she heard him get up. The sobbing had stopped and nothing greeted her ears. She stopped sobbing, instead allowing a few more tears to roll down her cheeks and for her to sniffle. The door behind him slammed shut and she knew then he was gone. She had done her job successfully, and she had never felt like more of a jerk in her life. She released her hands from the railing, realizing that her hands were cramping from the force she had used to grab it. She massaged her hands, trying to remind herself that her actions were for the greater good. The world came before her feelings, no matter how it seemed to hurt._

_ Thus, she found herself here, alone and dealing with her own heartbreak. She couldn't tell Aang about what happened-that was what she was preventing here-and she couldn't speak to Zuko about it. She was left with her own problems to try to deal with._

_ She pressed the mask to her chest, remembering the few sweet moments she had shared with him that night. The last of her tears fell down her tan face as she looked up at the moon. She would never forget this day; the day she prevented them from getting caught. The day she prevented her own heartbreak by breaking their hearts. She would never forget this day._

They had lightly chatted but said nothing of consequence. She hardly looked into his eyes; he hardly looked into hers. They both recited their mantras to keep themselves from looking at the other. They held their significant others hand, trying to keep up the appearance that they were happy with the ones they were with, though the one that they truly loved was right across from them. They did it all to keep the world in balance; they did it because they knew their love would never be accepted. They had no other choice, and they acknowledged that fact, no matter how much it hurt.

They parted as two hearts that longed for one another but could never be together.


End file.
